Question: What were the advantages of shooting this feature in high definition?

Billups: Because the HD recording media is dramatically less expensive than film, a director can afford to do multiple takes. You're not as predisposed to cut and so you keep rolling and refining the performance until you get everything just right. And as for distribution, shooting HD video is the only real alternative to film.

Question: Can you comment on cost issues related to HD production, and whether this has been a deciding factor in your use of the medium?

Billups: "Mid-Century" looks big and looks great, despite having been shot on a very low budget, a budget that was significantly addressed by shooting HD video.

I couldn't have afforded to do this project in film. Production costs for film or HD can be equivalent, but post-production savings are astronomical. Digital effects constitute 80% of this shoot, and having shot in HD, no transposition is necessary in post. The effects look native--you don't have to match film to eliminate artifacts and grain, saving an enormous amount of time. Ultimately, once I started to shoot, I regarded the VariCam not so much as an acquisition tool, but as an essential computer peripheral.

Question: You have said that for a visual effects movie like "Mid-Century", you simply must have the correct color space to pull perfect mattes. How did the Panasonic AJ-HDC27 VariCam perform for this purpose?

Billups: I see digital filmmaking emerging as a third production paradigm, alongside the studio and independent methodologies. The digital style, well represented by the latest work of George Lucas (Star Wars") and Robert Rodriguez ("Spy Kids II), as well as "Mid-Century," works backwards from post-production. Acquisition needs to conform to post-production, and you need to select the camera that best matches your color space. I chose the VariCam largely because it has a deeper color space, more sub-sampling than HDCAM, and more closely matches the Primatte (Pinnacle) color space, the matte puller I was committed to. For a visual effects movie like "Mid-Century," you must have the appropriate color space to pull perfect mattes, and the VariCam pulls mattes spectacularly for CG work.

Question: The AJ-HDC27 VariCam has the unique variable-frame-rate shooting capabilities. Did you shoot off-speed on "Mid-Century"?

Billups: Variable speed came into play a couple of times, and it worked well. For instance, we shot the scene of Mistress Eva fending off two men at 40-fps for the slo-mo effect, and it was a simple matter of adjusting the menu dial.

Question: How did the VariCam perform for you overall?

Billups: The AJ-HDC27 is the best electronic camera I've worked with, and the easiest-to-use. It was flawless in operation. The set-ups are easy to hit. The camera was versatile; we attached heavy gear to it, we used it hand-held--either way it worked well. You get an inherently cinematic look that projects and prints superbly, and looks good on the desktop.

Question: What's the status of "Mid Century"?

Billups: Early interest by producers has encouraged me to turn the project into a full-length feature. I've decided to add another 25 minutes to the film. I've put back scenes and introduced a sub-plot, and currently we're building new CG environments. Of course, we'll complete the shoot with the VariCam. Our intention is to enter "Mid-Century" in the Directors' Fortnight at Cannes next spring.

Question: What would you say to your fellow filmmakers about VariCam?

Billups: I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the VariCam to emerging filmmakers. With it, you're pushing a lot less data around and getting the same results, so it becomes a question of color space. And VariCam excels in that department.

Question: Would you use VariCam for subsequent projects?

Billups: I already have, shooting pick-ups for a feature project originally shot in Super 16, for a commercial for turnkey executive suites and, now, for the second round of shooting "Mid-Century."